If one considers, along with today’s Gospel, the reading from the prophet Isaiah, and the Responsorial Psalm, then clearly the theme which emerges is that of healing. The psalmist asks that our souls be healed. Isaiah points out that God heals us spiritually, even when we are unaware of and might not even desire such healing.

In today’s Gospel, if we look closely, Jesus heals on two levels. First, moved by the faith of his friends, Jesus heals the paralytic. He physically heals the man. But the scribes, apparently believing in the maxim that “no good deed should go unpunished,” challenge Jesus’ actions, words, and motives.

The scribes, not Jesus, link physical infirmity with sin. Jesus, throughout his ministry, rebukes such a notion. However, Jesus knows that the scribes are right about one thing: Only God can forgive sin. That is, only God can heal our souls. The scribes, like all of us, are impressed by someone who can heal physical infirmity. But Jesus goes much further. He takes this opportunity to demonstrate his authority over sin and thus reveal his relationship to the Father.

The paralytic who is at the centre of the story never says a word. We know nothing about him except two very important things. Jesus healed the man physically. And Jesus healed him spiritually – He forgave the man’s sins.

Today’s readings pose, to each of us, the question: What do I want Jesus to heal in my life? What area of my life is withered and needs new life?

That is why we gather week after week to celebrate the Eucharist. We come so that we might joyfully receive this bread from heaven, this bread that heals our withered hearts. As we receive this Eucharist, let us pray for the grace and the courage to desire and accept God’s healing.

“Heal me, O Lord, for I have sinned against you.”
(Psalm 41)

On this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are once again reminded about the Lord’s love for the sick, lonely, and down-trodden. The special aspect of today’s readings is His love and mercy toward those who are considered sinners and outcasts.

The Gospel story is about the man with leprosy who begs the Lord to make him “clean.” Moved with pity, the Lord cleansed him and returned him to the human family. In those days, leprosy stood for sinfulness and exclusion. Jesus does not make any distinctions; he reaches out in love and mercy to those who are the “untouchables” — such is God’s merciful and infinite love.

The invitation is very clear. We must do the same, and we must do it with His love. The “untouchables” of our days include those afflicted with AIDS. In the name of Jesus, we must put aside judgement and exclusion, and reach out to them in true love. We are called to make decisions for Christ and His kingdom.

Did we forget that we were the untouchables? That we were those in sin? Did we forget that the Lord Jesus reached out to us and restored us to life?

When we stretch out our hand to help someone, we accept that the world is broken and unfair, and then we move away from looking for someone or something to blame, to wanting to be a loving person. A good question we can ask ourselves is, “Do I want to be right in this situation, or do I want to be loving?” They are often not the same thing!

Today at the 11:00 a.m. Mass, we will celebrate the World Day of the Sick. This day was instituted in 1992 by His Holiness Pope John Paul ll, and is actually celebrated on February 11th each year, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is an opportunity for the ill and those who minister to them to reflect on the Christian meaning of suffering. This day also provides those involved in health care to reflect on the roots of their healing mission. We gather today to pray in the name of Jesus, the healer, and to invoke his healing power.

“You are my refuge, Lord;
with deliverance you surround me.”
(Psalm 32)

“The night is long and I am full of tossing until dawn,” so it says in our First Reading today from the Book of Job. Who of us cannot relate to this experience? Sleeping pills and herbal remedies for sleeplessness have become a multi-billion dollar industry! Maybe more than ever, our lives have become increasingly hectic and jam-packed full of activity. Medical experts tell us that many of our killer diseases such as heart attacks, cancer, strokes, etc., are stress related illnesses. And although many of our activities are very worthwhile, all of us, like Jesus, who “went out to a deserted place and there he prayed,” must also make room in our lives for prayer and contemplation. Without prayer-time, we lose our sense of direction, our meaning and purpose in life. We begin to feel as though we are on a conveyer belt just being pushed forward without having any control of where it is that we are going.

When we take the time to re-connect with our God, it is like someone who comes home. Home is where we all start out, it is the point of reference from which all other places are measured. Home is the place where we take refuge and recharge, where we feel secure, safe and at peace. Home is where we take our “broken hearts and bind up our wounds”. Home is where we come for healing when life has left us wounded and bleeding.

This Sunday, let us be resolved to come home to the Lord more often, to foster a fervent life of prayer and reflection, to take “time out” or spend some “quality time” with our healing and loving God. Maybe then, we will sleep more soundly and we will enjoy a greater sense of peace within our hearts!

“Sing praise to the Lord
who heals the broken hearted.”
–Psalm 147

“O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts…” It isn’t always easy to discern God’s voice in our own hearts, let alone to appreciate holiness in the heart of a questionable stranger who emerges from a harsh and hostile world.

St. Mark writes: “They were astounded at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority…” Jesus then expands this authority to heal a man convulsed by an “unclean spirit.” But all of us are a mixture of dark and light, turmoil and peace. Can we push through our fear to listen to God’s voice? Will we then respond – with love and trust – to God’s healing touch?

Paul’s message can sometimes seem judgmental, contradicting ideas of an inclusive, open-hearted God: “The unmarried woman and the virgin are concerned about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is concerned about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband.” He says the same about men; according to Paul, married folk inevitably succumb to “divided interests.”

Worldly concerns, holiness and scandal coexist in all walks of life. Does Paul suggest that in order to be close to God we must consecrate ourselves to a life of virginity and contemplation in a controlled “safe” environment? Even in contemplative life, “unhindered devotion” to the Lord — developing compassion for family, friends and strangers — is daunting. Perhaps, like all of us, Paul struggles in his journey to understand the myriad questions and concerns of his time and place.

Thomas Merton says: “Clean, unselfish love does not live on what it gets but on what it gives. It increases by pouring itself out for others…” Can we pour ourselves out with unselfish love for those unexpected and sometimes frightening prophets and messengers in our midst? To begin, we might put aside our fear; we might even invite them into the car as we travel through this challenging, complex world.

“In the face of my reluctant, half-hearted, blundering
Christianity, this stranger touched…no, gripped…….
my shoulder. In that deliberate gesture, he assured me
that I’m not so bad. He understood my fear, and for-
gave me for it. This marginal stranger forgives me.
He blesses me.” (Strachan, American Magazine, 2008)

Today, January 22nd, we, celebrate the feast of our founder, St. Vincent Pallotti. He was a remarkable man, marked by holiness and vision for the Church. He was truly ahead of his time, as he gave a call for all the lay people to fully realize their vocation in the Church.

St. Vincent Pallotti was born in Rome, on April 21st, 1795. He was ordained priest on the 16th of May, 1818. On the 4th of April, 1835, he founded the Union of Catholic Apostolate, bringing together priests, men and women religious, and lay people, united as a faith community for the common purpose of living and spreading the Good News. In 1846, he formed a community of priests and brothers, now known as the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottine Fathers). He died on the 22nd of January, 1850, at the center of his new community, the church of San Salvatore, in Onda, Rome. He was beatified by Pius XII on the 22nd of January, 1950, and proclaimed a Saint by John XXIII, on January 20th, 1963.

St. Vincent Pallotti gave special emphasis to the fact that every Christian has received from Christ a mission for the Church and for the world. He was aware that bishops, priests, and religious cannot carry the total responsibility for evangelization. Lay people, too, have the obligation and the right to actively participate in the mission of the Church. This concept was new at the time of Vincent Pallotti and, to implement it, he founded the Union of Catholic Apostolate. He meant this Union to be an association of priests, religious, and lay people who, together, would strive to awaken in all a consciousness of their call to the apostolate of Jesus Christ. Moreover, they are called to bring this consciousness to all parts of the world.

In every age, God has been generous in giving special gifts of the Holy Spirit to certain men and women, in order to continue the mission of Christ for the salvation of humankind and to promote the growth of the Church. During the first half of the 19th century, St. Vincent Pallotti was among those whom God enriched with his gifts and inspiration for the purpose of aiding the Church in fulfilling her mission.

Because of the worsening crisis of faith in his time, and because of the growth of the Church’s work in the missions, Pallotti saw the urgent need to revive the faith of Catholics, to renew their love, and unite all in Christ.

Today, we celebrate the Jubilee Year of the Canonization of St. Vincent Pallotti. In his honour, Vespers and Benediction will be held at 6:00 p.m., followed by a reception. Please contact Gerry Richardson at 403-278-5960 for further information.

In today’s noisy world, stillness can be rare and we might wonder what, if anything, can draw us into intimacy and meaning. Today’s readings provide us with a key, for they call us to stop talking and listen.
In the first reading, Samuel hears the voice of the Lord but does not recognize it. It is Eli, in his wisdom and age, who knows that the proper response to this unknown call is to be still and listen.

When they first met Jesus, John’s disciples are tentative and tongue-tied. When Jesus asks what they want, they ask in return, “Where are you staying?” – as if they might want to get in touch at some later date. To this, Jesus’ simple invitation is to “Come and see,” and they spent the day with him. More importantly, they take the time to listen to Jesus.

When we, like the first disciples, listen to God’s voice, we deepen our commitment to the Lord. God calls us through what we see, hear and feel.

God speaks to us through creation and through the lives and words of ordinary people. In turn, we ourselves call others to God when we walk together on our faith journey.

May the Eucharist open our hearts to enter more deeply into communion with God and each other. “Speak, Lord for your servant is listening.”

Matthew is the only evangelist who tells the story of wise men from the East who follow a star in their search for the newborn King of the Jews.

These ’wise men’ might be practicing of Eastern mystical traditions, Babylonian astrologers, Arabian magicians, or rich adventure -seekers. They come from another world and are seeking something out of the ordinary. We can easily see in these travelers the restless searchers of our own age – people who keep looking for the ultimate experience, the perfect path, the next big thing.

We continue to tell and reflect upon their story as part of our own journey, more than 2,000 years later. The wise men are more than just ‘new-agers’ from an ancient time. They follow the signs and they show us the star. That star, pointing to the Christ child, is still part of our world today. Sometimes our work may be to polish the star and make it shine when it has been obscured by clouds of doubt, scandal or suspicion. Sometimes we have the privilege of pointing it out to restless searchers; and sometime we are the ones out in the dark, cold night, needing to get back up on the camel and follow the star again….until it leads us once more to the Christ-child who brings life and joy for the whole world.